Friday 14 September 2018

Top 5 Ultra-Lightweight Travel Trailers Under 2,000 Pounds

When we’re looking to buy a travel trailer, there are several factors that everyone considers, how important each point is to you largely depends on your requirements. Price is probably at the top of the list for most people, closely followed by weight and dimensions. The latter two are especially important if our vehicle of choice has a limited towing capacity, or if we’re trying to pull the trailer through locations that have height or width restrictions. If you’d like to avoid towing as much weight as possible, then you should consider one of the ultra-lightweight travel trailers on our list, all of which keep the tow weight under the 2,000-pound mark.

There are scores of travel trailers out there, and there are dozens of brands and most of them make trailers of varying weights and sizes, as well as a range of specs and floor plans. The sheer diversity of travel trailers can make shopping for one a daunting exercise, even more so if this is the first time you’re venturing into the world of travel trailers. You are perhaps aware that travel trailers can easily weigh anywhere from under 2,000 pounds to well over 5,000 pounds. In fact, luxury travel trailers can weigh substantially more than 9,000 pounds. As a rule of thumb, the longer and more spacious the travel trailer is, the more they are likely to weigh. The upside of these larger trailers is that they have more capacity and the interiors can border on the luxurious and are often times more akin to well-appointed apartments than they are to a portable travel trailer.

Those looking for ultra-lightweight travel trailers weighing under 2,000 pounds are in luck, as there are a ton of options out there. The biggest challenge is filtering out everything that doesn’t meet your needs and choosing the best out of what’s left. In order to come up with our list of the top five ultra-lightweight travel trailers under 2,000 pounds we have used a range of quality markers, which covers but are not limited to make and durability, design and craftsmanship, reviews of users and experts, the features you get and the options or upgrades you may consider along with the variants that are available for each. Support is also crucial and particularly for those who are buying a travel trailer for the first time. Each point has been scored and rated and compared with the competition, So, without further ado, here are the five best ultra-lightweight travel trailers under 2,000 pounds.

Five Best Ultra-Lightweight Travel Trailers Under 2,000 Pounds

Riverside Retro Travel Trailer

The Riverside Retro Travel Trailer is simple, retro and simply brilliant. It sports a conventional look and is as utilitarian as light travel trailers can be. Do not be mistaken by its obvious simplicity as there are eighteen floor plans for you to choose from. Unfortunately, there are only two of these eighteen floor plans that would meet your prerequisite of unloaded weight under 2,000 pounds. The other sixteen plans will breach that threshold, but not always by a lot. The travel trailers within this series range from approximately 1,900 pounds all the way up to 6,100 pounds. The length ranges from thirteen feet to thirty-two feet. The smallest trailer in this series can accommodate two people. The largest can easily sleep six people in comfort. As we’re looking to keep things as lightweight as possible, we’ll need to keep our eyes on the Retro 155XL and Retro 509 Jr, both of which keep the unloaded weight under 2,000 pounds.

The durable Riverside Retro travel trailers come in bright colors, birch wood furniture, checkered floor, six cubic feet fridge, curtain toppers or mini blinds with birch valance, aluminum cage construction and a solar-powered port rated for fifteen amps. You can choose a single or double axle unit and that would determine whether you get the 16,000 BTU or 20,000 BTU furnace. The expandable trailer has modern amenities. There are USB ports for charging, electric jacks, solar powered prep, roof vents equipped with rain sensors and awning spanning fourteen inches. This is easily one of the most useful travel trailers under 2,000 pounds.

Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro Travel Trailer

The Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro travel trailer is affordable, easy to use and offers enough comfort to keep even the fussiest campers happy. This model is actually lighter than the two Riverside Retro travel trailers that we discussed above, it managed to keep its weight well under the 2,000-pound mark. The Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro trailers come with seven different floor plans. They can accommodate two to four people. The length varies from eleven to twenty-one feet. The unloaded weight ranges from just over 1,100 pounds to around 3,200 pounds. It should be noted that only one of all the models or variants in this series weighs over three thousand pounds unloaded. The other six campers in this series should be easy enough to tow for most vehicles due to their inherent lightness. All floor plans are impressive, not because of the options at your discretion but owing to the clever use of the space which ensures that despite the limited size and weight, you’ll be kept comfortable.

The Flagstaff E-Pro 16BH and Flagstaff E-Pro 17PR designs are the more spacious varieties, making them ideal for families of four. All four family members will be able to sleep comfortably in these two models, with plenty of room to stretch out. The travel trailers are constructed from using an aluminum frame and with walls and roof that are vacuum laminated as well as a fiberglass cap. It’s very uncommon to find other models within this weight class that features a fiberglass and it’s one of the features that make these trailers stand out from the rest. However, you will be required to pay slightly more for these trailers, but the build quality and features are worth the expense.

The exterior is pragmatic and in our opinion aesthetically pleasing. Complementing the exterior is the slick interior, which makes clever use of the footprint with amazing storage spaces, Murphy beds, a Wi-Fi range extender and décor that definitely feels contemporary. If you choose to do so, you can purchase additions too if you choose to enhance your experience. However, you do not have to go for any add-ons or expansions straightaway, instead, you can upgrade and add to your trailer over time or when money becomes available. The seven floor plans aside, the travel trailers are decked up with recessed cooktop and flush mount cover, outside speaker, tinted bonded frameless windows, 20,000 BTU furnace, and nitro filled radial tires.

Palomino PaloMini Travel Trailer

As the wordplay of the brand would have made it obvious, the Palomino PaloMini travel trailer is a smaller and lighter version of its heavier and larger cousin. This is not a standard mini trailer when we talk about the models under two thousand pounds but it is one when you consider the luxury trailers made by Palomino. The Palomino PaloMini travel trailer simplifies camping. It comes with ten different floor plans. The lightest of them all weighs 1,900 pounds, the heaviest weighs 3.800 pounds, these are dry weights or unloaded thresholds. The trailers can accommodate three to six people depending on its size and floor plan, with the length varying from sixteen to twenty-one feet.

The lightest and hence the most relevant PaloMini is sixteen feet long and it can easily accommodate three people to sleep at night. The dry weight is well under 2,000 pounds, which despite its modest weight and dimensions, the features included are remarkable. You can go for a slightly heavier variant if you need sleeping capacity for four people. Even though you are targeting travel trailers under two thousand pounds, your towing vehicle may be capable of pulling one that weighs a few hundred pounds more without breaking a sweat. Do the math and choose accordingly. If you are sure you need a travel trailer which weighs less than 2,000 pounds, then the most relevant options are PaloMini 177BH and the PaloMini 179BHS.

PaloMini travel trailers are sleek and durable. You can easily load bikes as well as well as a toy hauler, depending on the variant you choose. There are some standard features in all the variants, such as a regular fridge, storage space, an air conditioner, cabinets like the ones you have at home, walkable roof and pillow top memory foam mattress. Bunk beds are available in some models depending on the floor plan but all variants have vacuum bonded construction. Keeping things pleasant is the 13,500 BTU air conditioner which is mounted in the roof. There are several options to choose from if you’d like to upgrade some of the features, which can be added on further down the line as the needs arise or once the money to do so becomes available.

Jayco Hummingbird Travel Trailer

The Jayco Hummingbird travel trailer is a little bit more upmarket than most ultra-lightweight travel trailers discussed previously in this article. This travel trailer makes fantastic use of the space, giving it an airy feel without the additional weight you might expect. There are as many as eight distinct floor plans to choose from and the variants have an unloaded weight ranging from a little over 1,500 pounds to just under 3,000 pounds. Two to four people can sleep comfortably depending on the model chosen and floor plan. The length varies between eighteen and nineteen feet. This series is definitely not the lightest but the variants are definitely within a much smaller range of unloaded weight than the options put forth by other brands. You can effectively stay within 3,000 pounds even if you opt for the longest and the most spacious Jayco Hummingbird travel trailer.

Hummingbird 10RK is your default option if you want to keep things strictly under 2,000 pounds. If you have the luxury to be a little flexible then you can go for Hummingbird 16FD, it is still relatively light, coming in under 3,000 pounds, but it packs a ton of features and feels large on the inside. Jayco Hummingbird travel trailers come with a rear camera, exterior speakers that are of marine grade, grill, powered awning with LED lighting which can also be used as a tailgate lighting source.

The interior of this travel trailer is decked up with a cooktop that has a glass cover, this provides extra space on the countertop if you need it. A foldable picnic table is available, allowing you to have alfresco dinners, lunches or breakfasts if the weather is conducive to outdoor dining. The countertops are spacious enough to prepare even the most complicated meals and the built-in furnace means you’ll remain comfortable as you do so. In addition, the G-20 has tinted safety glass windows, outside grill powered by propane and with a quick disconnect port, two gas burners inside and decorative treatments for the windows with pleated nightshades, all of which make Jayco Hummingbird travel trailer an excellent environment that make you want to stay on the road for just another week.

Forest River Rockwood Geo Pro Travel Trailer

The last ultra-lightweight travel trailer in our list is a fitting alternative to the Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro. The Forest River Rockwood Geo Pro travel trailers are a favorite among lightweight campers. There are seven-floor plans. The unloaded weight ranges from just over 1,100 pounds to less than 3,200 pounds. The number of people you can have sleeping comfortably is two to four. The travel trailers are anywhere between eleven feet and twenty feet long. The Geo Pro is in some ways similar to the E-Pro, boasting similar features, but they differ in many key areas such as dimensions.

We really like the Rockwood Geo Pro 12RK which is a great option and comes in under our target weight of 2,000 pounds of dry weight. However, if you can push the weight envelope just a little bit, you can also consider the Rockwood Geo Pro 14FK, which tops out at just smidgen over 2,000 pounds. That little bit of extra weight does provide extra features and room, which might be worth it, as long as your towing vehicle can manage the additional load.

Forest River Rockwood Geo Pro travel trailers are lucky enough to have the company’s proprietary Wi-Fi range extender fitted as standard, ensuring uninterrupted snapchats, instagrams, or whatever else you might be needing wifi for. Additionally, there are outside speakers, a furnace and a plethora of add-ons or expansions available. The six-sided aluminum cage construction makes this one of the sturdier travel trailers among the lighter variants of most manufacturers. There is no air conditioner as a standard feature but you can always go for the upgrade when you buy your trailer, or at a later date when you plan an adventure during the summer months. All Geo Pro travel trailers have tinted bonded frameless windows, vacuum laminated walls and roof, magnetic baggage door catches, nitro filled radial tires and a combo of Coleman stove and grill.

Final Thoughts

Read as much as you can about all these top ultra-lightweight travel trailers weighing under 2,000 pounds. You may want to hear what fellow campers have to say. All the models are from reputed companies and they offer reliable support anywhere in the country. The craftsmanship of these manufacturers is well known and all these trailers are precisely engineered and do exactly what is described within the company literature. There are no unpleasant surprise as long as you do not go for any unnecessary and unregulated changes. If you are too stringent about the unloaded or dry weight threshold, then you would have to compromise on a few luxury features. You might need to strike a balance between weight, capacity, price and comfortable living. We wouldn’t for a second hesitate in recommending any of these travel trailers to any of our friends, family or readers.

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